Solar heat collector having heat pipe

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a solar heat collector having heat pipe. A heat exchanger has accommodating space and an opening recess. The opening recess has a screw thread and a though hole. The connecting barrel includes a pipe tube has a tunnel. The pipe tube is threadedly connected to the opening recess. An end of the heat pipe is inserted through the tunnel and the through hole and located in the accommodating space. Cool water following into the heat exchanger takes away the heat of the heat pipe. The heat exchange process of the heat pipe proceeds by the phase change of working fluid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a solar heat collector, in particularly to a solar heat collector having heat pipe.

2. Description of Related Art

Under the rising conscience of environmental protection and the threat of energy crisis, safer and less-polluting solar radiation energy is widely accepted by people. However, how to effectively and fully convert the solar radiation energy is the long term issue needed to solve. In available applications of solar radiation energy, solar heat collector is a product successfully commercialized and having economic interest. In order to improve the conversion efficiency of the solar radiation, the heat pipe had been successfully used in the solar hear collector as a heat conductive element.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are respectively a perspective view and a cross sectional view of the conventional solar heat collector. As FIG. 1 shows, the solar heat collector 1 a includes a heat exchanger 10 a, a plurality of branch tubes 20 a inserted into the heat exchanger 10 a, and a plurality of heat pipes 30 a respectively arranged in the branch tubes 20 a. When operating the solar heat collector 1 a, cool water flows in from one end of the heat exchanger 10 a, and then passes through the heat pipes 30 a and takes out the heat of the heat pipes 30 a, and finally flows out from the other end of the heat exchanger 10 a.

When assembling the solar heat collector 1 a, a plurality of openings 11 a are needed to be formed on the heat exchanger 10 a. Then, the branch tubes 20 a are welded into the openings 11 a. Finally, conductive material 40 a is coated on the inner surface of the branch tubes 20 a, so as to tightly connect the heat pipes 30 a in the openings 11 a.

However, the assembling method of the above solar heat collector 1 a is complicated and wastes a lot of time. Besides, the heat of the heat pipes 30 a is not directly exchanged to the water in the heat exchanger 10 a, but transferred through the branch tube 20 a to the heat exchanger 10 a. Thus, the heat transferring thereof is less efficiency and needs to be improved.

Accordingly, in order to achieve the above objective, the inventor comprehensive studies and uses appropriate theories to provide the present invention, which is reasonable designed and capable of improving the above problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is to provide a solar heat collector, capable of simplifying the assembling method thereof and improving the of heat collecting efficiency.

For achieving the above objective, the present invention provides a solar heat collector having heat pipe, including a heat exchanger, a connecting barrel and at least one heat pipe. The heat exchanger has a shell and an accommodating space surrounded by the shell. The outer surface of the shell has an opening recess not passing through the shell. The inner surface of the opening recess has a plurality of first screw threads. The opening recess has at least one through hole connecting to the accommodating space. The connecting barrel includes a pipe tube having a tunnel. The pipe tube has a plurality of second screw threads for threadedly connecting with the opening recess. The heat pipe includes a main body and a working fluid disposed in the main body. An end of the heat pipe is inserted through the tunnel and the through hole and located in the accommodating space, wherein cool water flowing into the heat exchanger takes away the heat of the heat pipe and the heat exchange process of the heat pipe proceeds by the phase change of working fluid.

For achieving another objective, the present invention provides a solar heat collector having heat pipe, including heat collecting plate for fixedly mounting the heat pipe. The heat receiving area of the solar heat collector can be increased and thus improves the heat collecting efficiency.

For achieving another objective, the present invention provides a solar heat collector having heat pipe, including a sealing ring arranged between the opening recess of the heat exchanger and the pipe tube of the connecting barrel. It forms a hermetic seal between the opening recess and the pipe tube. The connecting barrel is tightly connected to the heat exchanger.

For achieving another objective, the present invention provides a solar heat collector having heat pipe, including a chamfer formed on the opening recess or the pipe tube of the connecting barrel. The sealing ring can be compressed toward the heat pipe. The connecting barrel is tightly connected in the opening recess. It forms a hermetic seal between the opening recess and the pipe tube.

In comparison to the prior art, the solar heat collector of the invention provides a opening recess on the shell of the heat exchanger, and screw threads on the inner surface of the opening recess. The connecting barrel can be threadedly connected to the opening recess. An end of the heat pipe can be inserted into the heat exchanger through the connecting barrel. Therefore, the connection of the heat pipe can be simplified. Besides, in comparison to the conventional heat conduction that the heat has to transfer through the branch tube, the heat pipe of the invention directly contacts with the water in the heat exchanger, so the conductive efficiency is higher and the collective efficiency is better, which both increase the practicability of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the conventional solar heat collector;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the conventional solar heat collector;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a solar heat collector having heat pipe of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the solar heat collector of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the solar heat collector of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the solar heat collector of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the solar heat collector of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view showing a connecting barrel of the second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view showing the connecting barrel of the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A detailed description of the present invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a solar heat collector having heat pipe of the present invention. The solar heat collector 1 includes a heating collecting frame 10, a heat exchanger 20, a connecting barrel 30, at least one heat pipe 40 and at least one heat collecting plate 50.

In this embodiment, the heat collecting frame 10 is of triangle shaped, but not limited thereto. The heat exchanger 20 and the heat pipe 40 are fixedly mounted on the heat collecting frame 10. The heat exchanger 20 is arranged on the upper side of the heat collecting frame 10.

FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are respectively an exploded view, a perspective view and a cross sectional view of the solar heat collector of the present invention. The heat exchanger 20 has a shell 21 and an accommodating space 200 surrounded by the shell 21. The outer surface of the shell 21 has an opening recess 22 which does not pass through the shell 21. The inner surface of the opening recess 21 has a plurality of first screw threads 23. The opening recess 21 has at least one through hole 220 connecting to the accommodating space 200. The through hole 220 is located at the center of the opening recess 22. The diameter of the through hole 220 is slightly larger than the diameter of the heat pipe 40.

The connecting barrel 30 includes a pipe tube 31 having a tunnel 300 and a rotatable head 32 connecting to the pipe tube 31. The tunnel 300 is located at the center of the pipe tube 31 and the rotatable head 32. The tunnel 300 passes through the pipe tube 31 and the rotatable head 32. The diameter of the tunnel 300 is slightly larger than the diameter of the heat pipe 40. The pipe tube 31 has a chamfer 311 at the peripheral of the tunnel 300. The chamfer 311 is oblique from the inner surface of the pipe tube 31 to the outer surface of the pipe tube 31. The outer surface of the pipe tube 31 has a plurality of second screw threads 33 for threadedly connecting with the first screw threads 23 of the opening recess 22. Thus, the pipe tube 31 of the connecting barrel 30 can be threadedly connected to the opening recess 22. In practical use, the first screw threads 23 are inner screw threads and the second screw threads 33 are outer screw threads.

As FIG. 6 shows, the heat pipe 40 includes a main body 41 and a working fluid 42 disposed in the main body 41. An end of the heat pipe 40 is inserted through the tunnel 300 and the through hole 220 and located in the accommodating space 200. In this embodiment, the heat pipe 40 is fixedly mounted on the heat collecting plate 50 (as shown in FIG. 3). The heat received by the heat collecting plate 50 can be transferred to the heat pipe 40. Thus, the heat receiving area of the solar heat collector 1 can be increased and thus improves the heat collecting efficiency.

Furthermore, the heat collector 1 may further includes a sealing ring 60 arranged between the opening recess 22 and the pipe tube 31. The thickness of the sealing ring 60 is slightly larger than the chamfer 311 of the pipe tube 31. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the sealing ring 60 is substantially equal to the diameter of the heat pipe 40. While assembling, the sealing ring 60 is arranged around the heat pipe 40, and then the heat pipe 40 with the sealing ring 60 is arranged into the connecting barrel 30. The rotatable head 32 can be rotated to drive the first screw thread 23 with the sealing ring 60 into the second screw thread 33. When approaching the bottom of the opening recess 22, the sealing ring 60 is compressed toward the heat pipe 40 by the chamfer 311. It forms a hermetic seal between the opening recess 22 and the pipe tube 31. In this time, the connecting barrel 30 is tightly connected in the opening recess 22 of the heat exchanger 20.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the solar heat collector of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the heat exchanger 20 has a water inlet 202 and a water outlet 201 opposite to the water inlet 202. Cool water flows into the heat exchanger 20 from the water inlet 202 and then passes through the heat pipe 40. Water passing through the heat pipe 40 takes away the heat of the heat pipe 40 and flows out from the water outlet 201. Therefore, the heat exchange process of the heat pipe 40 proceeds by the phase change of working fluid 42, and the purpose of heat collection of the solar heat collector 1 is achieved.

FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show a connecting barrel of the second embodiment of the present invention. The connecting barrel is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The heat exchanger 20 has an opening recess 22 not passing through the shell 21. The inner surface of the opening recess 22 has a plurality of first screw threads 23. The opening recess 22 has at least one through hole 220 connecting to the accommodating space 200. Further, the connecting barrel 30 includes a pipe tube 31 and a rotatable head 32 connecting to the pipe tube 31. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the pipe tube 31 does have any chamfer.

In this embodiment, the opening recess 22 has an inner chamfer 221 oblique formed from the bottom side of the opening recess 22 toward the accommodating space 200. When the connecting barrel 30 is driven to the bottom of the opening recess 22, the sealing ring 60 is compressed toward the heat pipe 40 by the pipe tube 31. The connecting barrel 30 is tightly connected in the opening recess 22. It forms a hermetic seal between the opening recess 22 and the pipe tube 31.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A solar heat collector having heat pipe, comprising: a heat exchanger having a shell and an accommodating space surrounded by the shell, wherein the outer surface of the shell has an opening recess not passing through the shell and the inner surface of the opening recess has a plurality of first screw threads and the opening recess has at least one through hole connecting to the accommodating space; a connecting barrel comprising a pipe tube having a tunnel, wherein the outer surface of the pipe tube has a plurality of second screw threads for threadedly connecting with the first screw threads of the opening recess; and at least one heat pipe comprising a main body and a working fluid disposed in the main body, wherein an end of the heat pipe is inserted through the tunnel and the through hole and located in the accommodating space, wherein cool water flowing into the heat exchanger takes away the heat of the heat pipe, and the heat exchange process of the heat pipe proceeds by the phase change of working fluid.
 2. The solar heat collector as claim 1, further comprising a heat collecting frame for mounting the heat exchanger and the heat pipe.
 3. The solar heat collector as claim 1, further comprising at least one heat collecting plate for fixedly mounting the heat pipe.
 4. The solar heat collector as claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger has a water inlet and a water outlet opposite to the water inlet, cool water flows into the heat exchanger from the water inlet, the water passing through the heat pipe flows out from the water outlet.
 5. The solar heat collector as claim 1, further comprising a sealing ring arranged between the opening recess and the pipe tube.
 6. The solar heat collector as claim 5, wherein the inner diameter of the sealing ring is equal to the diameter of the heat pipe.
 7. The solar heat collector as claim 5, wherein the pipe tube has a chamfer at the peripheral of the tunnel, and the sealing ring is compressed toward the heat pipe by the chamfer.
 8. The solar heat collector as claim 7, wherein the chamfer is oblique from the inner surface of the pipe tube to the outer surface of the pipe tube.
 9. The solar heat collector as claim 1, wherein the opening recess has an inner chamfer oblique formed from the bottom side of the opening recess toward the accommodating space.
 10. The solar heat collector as claim 1, wherein the diameter of the through hole is slightly larger than the diameter of the heat pipe.
 11. The solar heat collector as claim 10, wherein the through hole is located at the center of the opening recess.
 12. The solar heat collector as claim 1, wherein the connecting barrel further comprises a rotatable head connecting to the pipe tube, the tunnel passes through the pipe tube and the rotatable head.
 13. The solar heat collector as claim 12, wherein the diameter of the tunnel is slightly larger than the diameter of the heat pipe.
 14. The solar heat collector as claim 12, wherein the tunnel is located at the center of the pipe tube and the rotatable head.
 15. The solar heat collector as claim 1, wherein the first screw threads are inner screw threads and the second screw threads are outer screw threads. 